Spring lay wire rope



Oct. 28, 1941. M. D. v. MILLARD SPRING LAY WIRE ROPE Filed July 2 7, 1940 K [mien-i072 M42( u K Maen,

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spring lay wire rope Patented Oct. 28,

s PATENT OFI-lcs SPRING LAY WIRE ROPE Washington, D. C., assign- Maxwell D. v. Millard,

or to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation of New Ilersey Application July 27, 1940, Serial No. 347,999

(Ci. St-147) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in generally employed for mooring lines, towing lines', boom guide tackle and the like. p

Spring lay wire rope generally comprises a composite structure of steel and hemp designed for high flexibility, whereby the same subjectednto small radius bends, and is further characterized by being of smaller size than an all-hemp -rope of equivalent strength.

While the hemp elements or strands in such rope tend to cushion and protect the steel members, the latter sometimes fracture due to interfering contact with each other, causing nicks, abrasion or shearing of the individual steel wires. This possibility of failure is critical due to the potential loss and danger attendant upon failure of vsuch ropes in their eld of use.

It is an object of this spring lay wirerope in which the possibility of failure byinterference of the steel strands or elements with each other is eliminated.

My invention contemplates the provision of an improved relation of the lay of the steel strands or elements, whereby contacting movement of invention to provide a` may be readily adjacent strands will take place substantially along said strands or elements, thereby minimizing the effect of such contact. In other words, my invention provides for the longitudinal slippage of the contacting wires of adjacent steel strands, whereby the contact is reduced to mere sliding friction and veliminates abrading and shearing forces between the wires.

The present improvement may be readily incorporated in spring laywire rope without material cost addition to the manufacture lthereof. At the same time, the improvedirope will have greatly increased life in service'n@ provides a rope which is safer and more reliable in use.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: f

Fig. 1 is an evational view of a portion of a regular spring -lay wire rope embodying my in- Avention;

similar material. Each compositetrand consists 55 as shown,

the strands 4' su ieftiay.

-posite strands will have of alternate individual steel wire strands 4 and i'lber or hemp strands 5' which are left lay about central strand cores 6 of hemp or the like.

. The steel strands 4 are each composed of a plurality of wires laid opposite lay in alternate composite strands 2, whereby the steel wire or elements of adjacent strands 4 will have non-interfering relation to each other.

All of the strands, both the composite strands 2 and their individual strands 4 and 5 are helically wound, and by relating the lay thereof as described, the steel wire strands 4 of adjacent comthen-individual wires or elements ldisposed in substantially unidirectionalA relation at the loci of contact between the steel strands of said adjacent` composite strands, as when the rope is bentor otherwise stressed.

The vsaid non-interfering relation of the steel strands or elements 4 of .adjacent composite strands thereby permits relativel longitudinal movement or slippage therebetween, eliminating the abrading ori injurious effect which has heretoforeresulted from interference between said strands. y

My invention may likewise be incorporated in reverse lay wire ropes by properly relating the lay of the strands and elements thereof. Thus, Fig. 3 illustrates a right reverse lay wire rope which may have substantiallythe same crosssection as Fig. 2, and wherein alternate right and left lay composite strands 2 arevright lay about a central core, each composite strand consisting of separate steel wire strands 4a and ber or hemp strands 5, the individual wires of the said strands 4* being all the sam'e lay in the composite strands 2*.

As shown, the wires ofthe individual strands 4a are all right lay, whereby due to the opposite lay of the alternate composite strands 2*, the said wires will have the desired unidirectional relation at theloci of' contact, between said steel strands of adjacent composite strands. Similarly, the same result may be attained in the rope of Fig, 3' by vproviding the steel wires of In the form of Fig. 4, the right reverse lay wire rope shown may also cross-section of Fig. 2. In such further modification, alternate right and leftv lay strands 2u are right lay about a central core, and comprise wherein. a i

separate steel wire strands 4b and liber or hemp strands 5b. However, in this form, the individual wires of the steel strands 4b are the same lay in alternate composite strands. For` example, -the wires of the strands 4b are right have substantially the -lay in the right lay strands 2b and left lay in the left lay composite strands 2b.

Thus, the form of Fig. 4 also affords the desired'unidirectional disposition of the individual steel wires at the loci of contact between the steel strands in adjacent composite strands 2". Similarly, the same result may be obtained in the rope of Fig. 4, by providing the steel wires of strands 4b of left lay in the right lay composite strands 2*. and the right lay in the left lay composite strands 2*.

In fabricating the wireropes of the character Y.

hereinset forth, the hemp or nber strands I, 5'l or 5b may be of any suitable form, the same functioning as resilient cushioning elements be,

tween the steel strands. For example. they may consist of small hemp ropes, the twist or lay of their individual members or strands being in either direction without reference to the lay of the steel strands.

It is to be understood that the forms embodying my invention shown and described herein are .merely by way of illustration.v For example, slx composite strands 2 are shown in the crosssection of -Fig. 2, whereas, eight or othernumbers of composite strands may be employed with tional areas of -the entire rope, the composite strands. the individual steel andhemp strands, and the size andnumber of the steel Wires in the steel strands may be varied at will by the skilled designer in acco dance with 'a desired weight, size and flexibility f r the rope.

Furthermore, the ropes illustrated herein are all known as right lay ropes, either right regular lay or right reverse lay, but it will be apparent that the invention may be as well'incorporated in left lay ropes by following the proper relation of the elements or strands thereof as described.

The foregoing as well as other variations. are

contemplated within the scope of the following claims. i

I claim:

l. A springlay wire rope including a plurality of composite strands formed of individual steel strands and^hemp strands, said steel strands comprising a plurality of wires, the `composite strands, the individual strands of said composite strandsand the wires of the steel strands being so related by reason of their lay as to dis- -pose said wires in substantially unidirectional relation at the loci of contact of the -steel strands of adjacent composite strands.

.satisfactory results. 'Likewise, the cross-scc- 2. A spring `regular lay wire rope including a plurality of composite strands wound about a central core, said composite'strands comprising alternate steel strands and hemp strands. the steel strands composed of aplurality of wires. said wires being right lay in alternate composite strands'and left lay in .the other composite strands, as and for the purposes described.

3. A spring reverse lay wire rope including a plurality of composite strands wound about a central core, said composite strands comprising alternate steel strands and hemp strands and disposed in opposite lay in alternate composite strands, said steel strands composed of a plu- 

